


other forms of fondness

by spacebubble



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Banter, Coda, Episode: s04e25 Body Parts, Ficlet, M/M, Pre-Slash, Voice Kink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-12-27 05:42:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21113633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacebubble/pseuds/spacebubble
Summary: Short coda for the episode "Body Parts." Odo stops by to visit Quark at work.





	other forms of fondness

**Author's Note:**

> (It's basically gen, but it's probably first base for Quark, so there's that)

"That was an idiotic scheme," Odo informs him one day.

Quark glances up from the drink he's mixing behind the counter. 

Odo sits on other side, leaning an elbow onto the countertop, glaring at him.

Business as usual, then.

(Except for the FCA notice slapped to the wall next to the doorway off in the distance. Quark's eyes can't help noticing the stark lettering before he resumes focusing on Odo's glaring face.)

"What scheme?" Quark asks, casually, in his customary '_dealing with a suspicious-sounding Constable (tone no. 5)_' voice. "Who's been scheming?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Quark."

"I wasn't aware we were playing at all, Constable."

Next to them, Morn takes a hefty sip of his Andorian mimosa. It's his second one of the morning. Quark keeps an ear out in case there's a chance to persuade him to order a third. 

Odo harrumphs. "Did you really think you could get away with asking Garak to assassinate you on _my_ station?"

"Oh this is _your_ station now?" Quark sets down his mixer to narrow his eyes at him. "Thought you didn't care about possessions."

Odo rolls his eyes. Quark presses his lips together to hide a smile.

"Besides, Garak's just a simple tailor. I don't know where you got the idea he could _assassinate_ me."

"I happened to _get the idea_ from Garak himself," Odo informs him.

"Did you, now?"

Odo narrows his eyes minutely, looking at him with a frustratingly inscrutable expression. It's an expression of intense focus, but Quark can't figure out anything else about it.

Was Odo waiting for him to confess? Or to deflect? 

He decides to deflect. 

"Was this during another one of your replimat breakfast chats?"

Odo nods with a confirming grunt.

"Why don't you ever have breakfast in the bar?"

"It's not exactly my decision to make, Quark." Odo's expression doesn't change, but there's a hint of amusement in his voice. "I'm not the one eating, after all."

"Right, right." Quark pretends to feel insulted. It doesn't take much pretending. "So you've never suggested, perhaps, that you might appreciate a change of scenery...?"

Odo snorts. "A change of scenery," he repeats dryly. 

"Just to keep things interesting." 

"I find our chats interesting enough. The location doesn't matter." 

"All the more reason to meet in the bar!" Quark spreads his hands wide, the slip of his cuffs receding along his arms, baring a sliver of naked wrist. He lets his hands fall back to his sides, self-conscious. "Just a worthwhile suggestion, I'd say."

"Of course you would." Odo leans harder onto the counter, just enough to bring himself closer for emphasis. "Even though you never work the morning shift."

Quark sighs. "Well, I _have_ to now, ever since the FCA - wait, you care about that?"

Nearby, Morn takes another sip of his mimosa. He's not very subtle about it.

The sound seems to remind Odo that they have an audience. He clears his throat - always for show, an obnoxious affectation - then leans over the counter.

Quark instinctively freezes. 

He gulps when Odo hovers by his ear, lips just short of touching his lobes. 

And Odo whispers, almost sweetly, "You have no idea what I care about, Quark."

His voice is low, intimate. Words meant for no one else's ears.

Quark's face heats up immediately in a furious blush.

He can hear a quietly amused exhale out of Odo's nose - what passes for a silent laugh - and an undertone of something else.

Fondness?

Couldn't be. 

It's loud in the bar. He's probably just imagining things.

Odo pulls away. "So, you work the morning shift now."

Quark blinks. "Huh?"

There's a small smile on Odo's face. He opens his mouth to reply, perhaps to repeat himself, when suddenly his combadge chirps.

With an irritated grunt, Odo responds to that instead. Quark manages to focus enough to overhear something about rowdiness in the holding cells.

(Off to the side, Morn very carefully sets down his mimosa flute onto the counter.)

"Guess you better take care of that," Quark says. 

Odo stands up with a grunt of acknowledgement. "Yes. I'll see you later, Quark."

Though he knows better than to ask, Quark can't help asking: "Tomorrow morning?"

There's a pause. Then a smile - not on Odo's face, but in his voice, low and pleasant. "Perhaps."

Close enough to a yes. 

Quark grins at the Constable's departing back, then turns to Morn.

"Another Andorian mimosa for my very best customer?"

Morn nods, brow furrowing ever so slightly. Typical Morn, always so thoughtful before talking his ear off. 

"I'll put it on your tab," Quark replies gleefully.


End file.
